The Release
by Chloe Lorena
Summary: Spoby, based on the spoilers from 3x05 Jenna's birthday . Garrett is going to be released for the night and Spoby keeps an eye on him.
1. Chapter 1

'What do you mean they're releasing him?' I squeaked, gawking at my mother. She looked up at me over the rim of her swimming-pool sized coffee mug. It was barely eight o'clock in the morning, I'd only had one cup of coffee myself, and she was throwing this news at me? Garrett, former Rosewood police officer, now known as the man who killed Ali, was being released. For one night. To see his sick grandmother, if he even had one.

To be honest, at this stage I really had no idea if Garrett was a good guy or a bad guy. People kept switching sides, from good to bad, so rapidly and so frequently that I could barely keep up. So I stopped trying. I had decided that treating anyone who had been involved in Ali's murder, the NAT Club or was under Jenna's spell, as a suspicious character, one you needed to tread carefully around. And Garrett fulfilled all three of those criteria.

'You heard me. But it's only for a night.' My mother was trying her best to avoid looking me in the eye. 'His grandmother has some rare type of cancer, and the appeals to let him at least see her won out.'

I could barely comprehend this whole thing. Surely someone who was under suspicion of murder would not be let out of jail until a hearing had happened.

'Does he need to have a monitor or anything?' Mom stopped avoiding my gaze and set her coffee cup down.

'No.' She all but whispered. My ears started ringing; they could not be letting him out. 'But he had page five of the autopsy report, surely that's-'

My mother suddenly took her coffee cup to the sink, drained it and rinsed it out, wanting to put an end to the conversation. 'Spencer, I can't talk about this with you.' She turned around and faced me, her gaze meeting mine deliberately. 'You need to let this go, leave it to the authorities. I know perfectly well how you like to stick your nose in things, but we have no idea what this guy is capable of. Leave it alone.' She emphasised the last three words, and with that left the house.

Her words hurt; my own mother, ladies and gentlemen, saying that I liked to poke my nose into others' business. I shouldn't be surprised; she was always taking sides against me, first and foremost with Melissa and then the rest of the world. But I thought that with everything Mona had put us through she'd finally wise up, understand that I didn't happen to people, they happened to me. It's not my fault things got up in my face and begged my nose to press against them.

I felt out of control. My head was starting to spin, my shoulders were tensing (even more than usual) and my hands were shaking. I couldn't tell if I was angry, hurt, offended, scared or just an amalgamation of all of them. However, I did know the cure.


	2. Chapter 2

'I come bearing caffeinated gifts!' I held up the mug of coffee I'd brought upstairs to Toby's loft when he opened the door, but I almost dropped it when I saw how barely clothed he was. His short hair was ruffled (just how I like it) and he only had on a pair of jeans, his big feet peeking out and his eyes barely open. The sight of him shouldn't have knocked the wind out of me, and made my heart flutter, and my hands tingle to touch him, but nevertheless my body did all of those things. At the sight of me, he yawned and stretched his arms back, making his shoulder muscles bulge impressively. I gulped, took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a second, trying to gain some control, knowing that if he saw my reaction he'd tease me.

'And how many have you had already?' He asked, smiling.

'This will be my second.' I gulped some coffee down to stop myself from babbling incoherently at the sight of his smile.

The drive over had helped clear my head; I was feeling a little bit better, and knowing that I'd soon be in Toby's arms helped, as well. He raised his eyebrow, and I knew he didn't believe me, so I murmured 'three'. 'Well, that would explain why you're here so early…' He responded, taking the cup I offered, sipping and looking comically surprised at the taste.

'You didn't make this, did you?' He asked.

'Would you believe me if I said yes?'

'No, I wouldn't. It tastes good.' I swatted at his bare chest, feigning offence when really I just wanted to touch him. He laughed, said 'weak, I meant to say weak', and swooped down for a kiss. I didn't have time to respond, it was so brief, just a peck but enough to make me ache. He was deliberately teasing me, and I knew it. He half turned when he reached his bed (the sight of his unmade bed making my hands twitch) to put his coffee down on the bed side table, and when he had turned back around I was looking up at him, my hands on his waist, a forearm's length away. 'Hi,' I whispered. He looked down at me, his lips forming an adorable smile as he responded with equal volume, 'Hi.' I dragged my eyes down, along his incredible chest, past his legs encased in denim and tangled my fingers in his. Since I gotten there, I'd momentarily forgotten why I had come but it was coming back to me again as I looked down at our interlinked fingers.

He made me feel so safe, and yet I don't think I had ever felt so vulnerable. Thinking about all that Mona had put us through, how she had tested us, she'd seen my weakness and exploited it… the though had me shaking. I'd never realised how vulnerable and exposed being in love was. And I had exposed Toby even more by not telling him what was going on, by not keeping him informed.

I could have lost him.

I brought my eyes back up to his questioning gaze and leant forward to kiss him. His lips were hot from the coffee, the heat spreading, desire flaring in my chest… Every warm gooey feeling that happened when the person you love kisses you happened. But suddenly, his hands on my waist were pulling our hips closer together; what had started as a comforting kiss had transformed into that desperate need. My head was swimming, and even when my eyes were closed I could still see him, my hyperactive senses driving me more and more crazy. I brought my hands up to his shoulders, not even needing to see but feeling my way, my hands simply knowing just how high his shoulders were, and I pushed him so that he was perched on the edge of the bed. Climbing onto his lap, our chests pressing together, I entangled my fingers in his hair, causing him to moan. That crazy hot sound, the power I had in making him feel just as desperate as I was, went straight to my head. I lapped up every move he made, every sound that expressed his desire and every place he touched went up in flames.

He finally broke the kiss, his hand curled around my cheek and his thumb stroking my cheekbone. 'Wow, Spence, I-' He closed his eyes and breathed deep, visibly trying to summon the will to stop. 'As much as I am loving this, I feel like you have an ulterior motive for being here. What aren't you telling me? 'Cause, you should tell me… like, right now…' He panted, his free hand doing the 'keep talking' gesture people use when they want you to get to the point. His other hand did a sweep down his face, but when I made to get up off his lap he placed his hand on the small of my back. 'I didn't say you could move.' He grinned.

I leaned forward and buried my face in his neck.

'Hey, what's wrong?'

'They're gonna release Garrett for a night, apparently to see his grandmother… she's ill, dying I think.' Toby's hugs, arms folded around me, was one of the things I loved about him. They gave me the nicest feeling in the world. Even nicer than caffeine.

'Wow, will he be unsupervised? How will they know where he is?'

'I have no idea, I don't think they have enough evidence to warrant supervision. According to my mom, anyway.' I replied, looking up at him but not hurrying to be released from the hug.

Toby sighed and brushed the hair out of my face. 'Are you worried? Do you think he'll…' A muscle in his jaw tightened.

'No, I don't think he has any reason to hurt me. But that doesn't mean I think it's a good idea for him to be running around Rosewood… and I don't particularly like the idea of being alone while he's out there…' I looked down, embarrassed to admit I was afraid.

Toby's hug tightened. 'I understand, I'm thinking movies and Chinese food here, and you can just crash. You'll be safe.' He smiled gently.

'Ah, but will I be safe from you?' I teased.

'I cannot promise that.' Toby kissed me again and it felt like a promise, a promise of more to come. I loved it.

But then I started thinking about Garrett and him being released, and the one person I couldn't guarantee the safety of, the person who was at risk the most, was Jenna. I reluctantly pulled away from the kiss, knowing that a Jenna conversation was not something I really wanted to dive into just yet, but also feeling like it needed to be said.

'But surely Jenna is the one who is the most vulnerable? Garrett did give her page five and then she gave it to the police… Do you think he could want revenge?' Toby became very still at the mention of Jenna, but he was still holding me, a good sign.

'I don't really know what he's capable of.' He replied.


	3. Chapter 3

'I don't know what to think. I don't know what his plan is and I don't trust him. I don't think anyone is safe.' I murmured, glancing nervously at Toby from beneath my eyelashes.

Jenna conversations were needless. But, nevertheless, anytime we needed to talk about Jenna, every time I mentioned her name, I felt nervous despite knowing that talking about her didn't bother him. He wasn't hurting anymore, she had no control over him and he was happy without her, was happy in himself and happy with me. My mind went back to those nights in front of my fireplace, talking about how he had managed to become comfortable in his own skin, how desperately he needed to leave that house, and how happy he was when he got into the loft. But that didn't stop my heart from hurting when I thought about what she put him through.

'Are you worried about her? Do you think she'd be in danger?'

'I'm not sure. I mean, she's less vulnerable now, she can see to defend herself. But that doesn't mean she's invincible.' I could see the cogs in his brain turning as he tried to sort through his feelings.

My stomach tightened as I thought about possible scenarios where Garrett could attack one of us. I thought about how vulnerable Emily and Hanna were, but especially Aria. Aria is so small; she could easily be attacked even by Garrett, the smallest police officer I had ever seen. I didn't think Garrett would hurt any of us, but if we had learned one thing about all this crap with Mona, it was that people can have you completely and totally fooled. And then they can turn around and bite you in the ass.

'What is he planning…' I whispered.

'You think he's got a plan?'

'I'm not sure, but I certainly don't think he's simply getting released for family time. There has to be another reason. Some other motive.'

Toby smiled suddenly. 'I recognise that look.'

'What look?'

'The Spencer Look, when you know something isn't right on the surface, like you know something else is going on and you're trying to figure it out.' He put both hands on my temples and stroked his thumbs across my forehead, just above my eyebrows. 'You get that worried line between your eyebrows, and combined with that amount of caffeine you'll give yourself a migraine.' I smiled, secretly thrilled that he knew me so well.

'It's hereditary, I'm afraid. Mom's wrinkle has gotten worse with age and Melissa inherited it, too.' But his fingers were helping. He gently slid the tips of his fingers into my hair and slid them down the back of my neck. It felt so good that a sigh escaped my lips, and with that, Toby's fingers went to work on the base of neck, massaging me so gently I felt like I would fall asleep.

My mind was just about to shut off completely, something that only happens when Toby is around, when suddenly I was winded and definitely jerked awake with the most exquisite idea of all time. What if Garrett gets released and visits A? If we followed him… could he lead us to A?

Could this all finally be over?

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_Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate it! More to come.  
I've been working on this slowly, doing bits at a time, cause I want to get it right, a good balance between fluff and actual plot, I hope you like it! _


	4. Chapter 4

'So, you think we should follow Garrett?'

I had explained to Toby that Garrett could lead us to A. Before he had gone to prison, the four of us were convinced he had something to do with A. Even if he wasn't A, he was obviously involved in the whole thing, having been part of the NAT Club and having been in Ali's bedroom the night she had died.

Toby's idea came out of nowhere, however, and the idea of him getting dragged into everything was unacceptable.

'Toby, you can't…' He raised his eyebrows at me.

'You're going to go all on your own, is that what's gonna happen?'

I hesitated. I did NOT want that, but the alternative of Toby getting hurt or attracting A's attention like last time…

'I'll go with Aria.' He laughed at this suggestion and I tried not to be slightly offended on her behalf.

'She's tiny, if something happens, she won't be very effective protection.' Unfortunately, he had a point. 'None of the girls will, you've been hurt by A before. Besides, A won't see me coming, you can't deny that. A will assume that you'll keep me uninvolved out of protection, and I'll be more effective because of that.'

I scrunched up my nose and squinted at him, attempting to convey my irritation. He was annoyingly accurate, and I knew it.

'Okay, fine. But I don't like it. Let the record show that I disagreed from the beginning.'

'Yeah, you didn't protest too hard, though…' I swatted Toby's chest, but I couldn't help smiling at him.

'What would have been the point? You're determined.'

He smiled at me and leaned down to hover over my lips as he said, 'well, we have that in common, don't we?', and then pressed his lips to mine. They were so soft that I could not help but moan and smile against them.

'Speaking of determined…' I whispered, kissing him harder and winding my arms around his neck, bringing our chests closer and giving me better access to muss up his hair more. But he saw right though me.

'Determined to distract me… that won't work.' I faux pouted as he unwrapped my arms from around him, his smile faltering slightly.

'Spence, I'm trying to help, to protect you.' Toby's hands curled around mine and he looked down at them. 'You know how… you said I was your safe place? Well, you're mine, too. And if A thinks that he or she can just put you through all of this and get away with it… then they are going to get one hell of a shock.' He looked me in the eye, and I could barely breathe, let alone return the look; my heart hurt with how much I loved this man, I felt my eyes sting with a mist of tears. No one had ever protected me, let alone said anything like that to me before. Even my family… My sister loved me, I knew that, but she'd never gone very far out of her own way to protect me. And despite everything my parents had helped dig me out of, I'm not sure how much longer they would have continued to protect me. I'm sure even they had their limits. Especially since Melissa was obviously their favourite daughter. I had never known anyone who was willing to put themselves on the line, to put their safety on the line, to ensure my own.

I bit my lip, hesitating but eventually giving in to the overwhelming temptation to tell him how he made me feel, to reciprocate. 'I've never had anyone to protect me. I love that you're going to be the first one.' Toby raised an eyebrow at me, hinting at our upcoming milestone. I giggled, and corrected myself, 'the first one to protect me, I mean… why do my words come out so jumbled when you're around?'. I pressed my palms to my cheeks, sure I had become red from embarassment, but Toby grinned again and pulled my hands away.

''Cause you love me?' Toby asked. I stared at him for a few seconds, then realised the hesitation was seriously unnecessary.

'Yes, that's exactly why.'

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Let me know what you think :) I'm going away until the 2nd of July, so I won't be uploading anything. I wanted to post a bit of fluffy stuff before the newest ep, so I could focus my A theory after the newest ep comes out.


	5. Chapter 5

'So I am assuming The Great Spencer Hastings, planner extraordinaire, does in fact have a brilliant plan formed…' Emily Fields pushed her hair behind her ear as she smiled at me. She really was one of those classic beauties, the one every girl envies, including myself.

I had told the girls that Toby and I were going to keep our eyes firmly trained on Garret. They had all been invited to Jenna's birthday party, so would be busy with that, but I hadn't. No great surprise and no hurt feelings there, really. Toby had been invited too, but Jenna had taken it surprisingly well when he had told her that since I had not been invited, he would not be attending.

'As a matter of fact, I do. Not that much planning is required.' I admitted. Emily smiled knowingly at me and I recognised the smile, knowing a teasing comment was coming.

'No, but it's you, so you have one anyway.' We laughed at how accurate the description was. It was true: I always had to have a plan for everything. If I didn't, nothing got done! I also hated feeling out of control, and I hated worrying that I would miss something if it wasn't planned properly.

'I do! I managed to work my impression skills to my advantage, called the police station pretending to be my mother, and found out what time Garret is being released. It's midday, in case you were wondering.' I told her. She nodded, looked slightly distracted, but nevertheless said, 'I think you and Toby have got this one, I'll leave it in the capable Hastings hands.'

I smiled, said 'That's how I prefer it, you know that,' and watched Emily smile (she can be a smiley person if you catch her on a good day) but I still noticed how distracted she seemed.

'Are you still worried?' I asked.

She seemed to shake herself out of it, but hesitated slightly. 'I'm not worried. I just… I can't work out what he's up to and considering none of us really know what he's capable of, I suppose it does make me nervous. It's just that I love you both, and I don't want you guys to get hurt.' She finally admitted, looking at me from underneath her long black lashes.

We were walking to my house, for the first time in what felt like years, the day of the big stake out finally upon us. G-Day. I could tell the girls were all pretty worried, but for some reason I felt excited. I guess it was the prospect of seeing what he was up to, maybe the fact that he would finally lead us to A.

And then I could stop worrying that A would hurt Toby again.

I stopped walking and turned to face Emily.

'It's because of Toby that I'm doing this. I don't want him hurt again because of A, and I don't particularly like the idea of getting myself hurt either.'

She nodded and seemed to toughen herself up, standing up a little bit straighter again. 'I am so sick of A, it's about time we were one step ahead of her for once. Or him.'

I felt myself tense up. 'You have no idea. Until we know who A is… he'll never be truly safe.' I felt self conscious admitting that to her, but she seemed to understand because she looked me in the eye and touched my arm. 'None of us will be,' she agreed, 'but we can beat her.'

'Not unless we stop feeling and don't have loved ones to value. But that will only happen if… never mind. I don't want to think about it. Here's to hoping Garret isn't dangerous and leads us right to her.' Emily's face scrunched up in concern again, frowning but nodded and held my gaze.

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Thanks for the reviews, I hope you like this! It's gonna be less fluff, and some plot, but there's cute Spoby stake out stuff :D


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